A Vineyard Killing

April 28, 2003
This absorbing yarn, the 14th in Craig's series set on Martha's Vineyard, portrays an island unknown to most visitors, cold and raw with a March wind biting instead of fish. Retired Boston policeman and part-time PI J.W. Jackson and his wife, Zee (whose head was turned by another man in last year's Vineyard Enigma), are enjoying an off-season lunch with friends at a Vineyard Haven deli when shots ring out in the street. Someone has tried to kill Paul Fox, brother of unscrupulous real-estate tycoon Donald Fox. The odd thing is, Paul was wearing a bulletproof vest, as if he were expecting serious trouble. Donald Fox, who's been buying up land with questionable titles and threatening island residents, may have been the intended target. In his search for answers, J.W. encounters some nasty thugs among the familiar cast of diverting locals, from the "keep out of this" police chief to the chief's sassy assistant. Island incidentals include fencing, fishing and firearms, along with the usual complaints about tourists. J.W.'s homely philosophy and a subtle theme of loyalty add depth. Well-constructed and well-paced, with humor and suspense, this outing shows Craig in fine form.

June 1, 2003
This latest visit to Martha's Vineyard begins with a bang: an unknown assailant shoots someone outside the delicatessen where series private investigator J.W. Jackson (Vineyard Enigma) is eating with his wife. Jackson is soon embroiled in a murder case involving grabby real estate developers and recalcitrant islanders. Off-season atmosphere and the usual high-caliber sleuthing.

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2003
J. W., Zee, and their children live year-round on Martha's Vineyard, and J. W. always seems to be finding trouble. The retired cop prefers fishing and his kids to his old life, but when Paul Fox, brother of a much-despised real-estate broker for the firm Saberfox, is shot directly in front of J. W., his curiosity is more than roused. Paul is courting a local lass, Maria, and her mother, Dodie, a victim of Saberfox's hard-sell approach, wants J. W. to find out more. Maria, meanwhile, wants to know about the handyman on the island who is courting Dodie. These investigations turn into connections, and a Saberfox employee is murdered. The art of fencing, unsavory business practices, and what constitutes loyalty combine with the Vineyard lore, geography, and custom that saturate this series. J.W. is a bit more ruminative in this one, letting readers see some of how he works things out.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)